Improvement in tire-tightemers



W. 0. JOHNSON.

TIRE-TIGHTENER.

Patent-ea Nov. 1875.

. N.FErERs, PHOw-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D 1v WILLIAM o. JOHNSON,

OF ALMA, MICHIGAN.

IMPRQVEMENT IN TIRE-TIGHTENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,814, dated November9, 1875; application filed August 27, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. JOHNSON, of Alina, in the county ofGratiot and State of Michigan, have invented an Improved PortableTire-Tightener, of which the following is a specification:

My invention has for its object to provide a port-able device by meansof which a loose tire may be readily tightened without removing thewheel from the aXle--first, by spreading the fellies at the joints, and,secondly, by raising the fellies from the shoulders of the spokesthesame device being used in both processes, and equally serviceable fortightening the tire of the lightest phaeton or that of the heaviestlumber-wagon.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofthe various parts, as more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Figure 1 isa side'elevation, showing the arrangement of the deviceforexpanding thefelly at a joint. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device asclamped to a spoke for raising the felly.

' Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a cross-section at :r x.

In the drawing, A represents a cast-iron socket having a pair of lugs,a, on each side. Between each pair of said lugs is pivoted a bolt, B, onwhich a nut, I), is threaded. On one face of the socket there is moldeda longitudinal groove, A adapted to embrace the lighter class of spokes,and on the other side is a similar groove, A adapted to embrace thespokes of lumber and other heavy wagons. O is a clamp-plate whose facesare grooved to embrace light and heavy spokes, and is cast with twolugs, 0, one at each side, one of which has an open slot, and the othera hole drilled in it, both of which are thereby adapted to receive thebolts B. The said device may be readily clamped to a spoke by means ofthe nuts b on the bolts B, as represented in Fig. 2. D is a screwboltloosely fitted in the bore of the socket A, and has threaded on it anut, cl, which bears against the end of said socket. At the outer end ofsaid bolt D'there is a crotch or fork, D. whose arms are inclined toreach under a felly at each side of a spoke,

and are hollowed at the extremities, as at d,

to embrace the inner face of the said felly.

A suitable wrench to turn the nuts should be provided, and thin leatherwashers, cut at one side, are required to fill out the joints in thefelly and those of the spoke and felly when expanded.

To tighten a tire, the wheel of the vehicle is turned so as to bring afelly-joint to the top. The device is then introduced between twospokes, and as near the felly as convenient, the base of the socketresting against one spoke and the hollow of the fork against the other.Then, by turning the nut d, the bolt D will be forced out of the socket,and thewheel-felly will be expanded so as to open its joint, in which athin leather washer should be inserted, when the pressure may be takenoff and the device detached preparatory to the second step in theprocess. The socket should now be clamped to a spoke with theextremities of the forks resting under the felly, which may be forcedpartly off the spoke-tench by turning the nut (I, so as to lift thescrew D partly out of its socket. A split washer of thin leather is thenlaid between the shoulder of the spoke and the folly, when the nut d maybe eased away to let the felly down upon the interposed washer.

The process above described is to be repeated around the circumferenceof the wheel until it is uniformly expanded into the tire, and requiresbut little time to accomplish it.

I do not claim, broadly, the invention of a device to be clamped to aspoke and provided with screws for forcing outwardly the telly, as suchis not original with me; but

What I do claim as my invention is-- The socket A, having the bolts B Bhinged to its sides, the clamp-plate O, the nuts b b, the screw D,terminating in a fork, D, and provided with the nut 01, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM O. JOHNSON.

